Narrative:

Upon arrival at ZZZ as the crew of flight XXX (after reviewing bulletin 01-04 in the operation of the dripless sticks) I proceeded downstairs to the ramp area to take fuel measurements of the right tank by the use of dripless sticks. (The right fuel gauge was deferred.) the result of the measurement was 4400 pounds of fuel remaining on that tank. The flight would turn into flight XXX to ZZZ1 and the required fuel quantity for that trip was 16000 pounds. The fuel truck arrived and began the process. As additional information I advised the fueler that the right fuel gauge was placarded inoperative, and should not be used. I waited in the area until the fuel process was accomplished and at that time I took my final measurement as prescribed by the company aircraft operating manual. The final numbers were: stick #1 8000 pounds, stick #2 7800 pounds. With those numbers in hand and after adding it to the fuel on the left tank I concluded we had the correct fuel load for that trip. Upon completion of my preflight duties and checklists we left the gate at approximately XB30 local time and took off a few mins after that. Moments after takeoff I pointed out to the captain that the aircraft had a strange left turning tendency and that he should try it himself. After the control xfer he agreed something did not feel right and we decided to return to ZZZ. We had an uneventful landing and taxi run, and when we reached the gate we proceeded to the ramp and took readings of all 4 dripless sticks on the right wing this time they read: stick #1 7600 pounds, stick #2 6100 pounds, stick #3 5000 pounds, and stick #4 5200 pounds. We also contacted air carrier maintenance control to which we explained the situation and indicated that we believed the problem to be fuel imbalance and we gave them the numbers of our last fuel reading. Their response was that given those last numbers they had no reason to believe that there was a fuel imbalance problem but a flight control problem was possible. They sent a contract mechanic to look over the aircraft but he found no flight control problems. It was then when maintenance control decided to ground the aircraft and sent its own mechanic team. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that maintenance reported the fueler shorted the right wing by 3000 pounds because the inoperative right wing indicator was used for fueling. The reporter said maintenance did not report if the fuel quantity system was repaired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 AFTER BEING FUELED PER MEL SPECIAL PROCS FOR INOP FUEL INDICATOR DISPLAYED L WING HVY INFLT.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT ZZZ AS THE CREW OF FLT XXX (AFTER REVIEWING BULLETIN 01-04 IN THE OP OF THE DRIPLESS STICKS) I PROCEEDED DOWNSTAIRS TO THE RAMP AREA TO TAKE FUEL MEASUREMENTS OF THE R TANK BY THE USE OF DRIPLESS STICKS. (THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS DEFERRED.) THE RESULT OF THE MEASUREMENT WAS 4400 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING ON THAT TANK. THE FLT WOULD TURN INTO FLT XXX TO ZZZ1 AND THE REQUIRED FUEL QUANTITY FOR THAT TRIP WAS 16000 LBS. THE FUEL TRUCK ARRIVED AND BEGAN THE PROCESS. AS ADDITIONAL INFO I ADVISED THE FUELER THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS PLACARDED INOP, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED. I WAITED IN THE AREA UNTIL THE FUEL PROCESS WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND AT THAT TIME I TOOK MY FINAL MEASUREMENT AS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANY ACFT OPERATING MANUAL. THE FINAL NUMBERS WERE: STICK #1 8000 LBS, STICK #2 7800 LBS. WITH THOSE NUMBERS IN HAND AND AFTER ADDING IT TO THE FUEL ON THE L TANK I CONCLUDED WE HAD THE CORRECT FUEL LOAD FOR THAT TRIP. UPON COMPLETION OF MY PREFLT DUTIES AND CHKLISTS WE LEFT THE GATE AT APPROX XB30 LCL TIME AND TOOK OFF A FEW MINS AFTER THAT. MOMENTS AFTER TKOF I POINTED OUT TO THE CAPT THAT THE ACFT HAD A STRANGE L TURNING TENDENCY AND THAT HE SHOULD TRY IT HIMSELF. AFTER THE CTL XFER HE AGREED SOMETHING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT AND WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI RUN, AND WHEN WE REACHED THE GATE WE PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP AND TOOK READINGS OF ALL 4 DRIPLESS STICKS ON THE R WING THIS TIME THEY READ: STICK #1 7600 LBS, STICK #2 6100 LBS, STICK #3 5000 LBS, AND STICK #4 5200 LBS. WE ALSO CONTACTED ACR MAINT CTL TO WHICH WE EXPLAINED THE SIT AND INDICATED THAT WE BELIEVED THE PROB TO BE FUEL IMBALANCE AND WE GAVE THEM THE NUMBERS OF OUR LAST FUEL READING. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT GIVEN THOSE LAST NUMBERS THEY HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A FUEL IMBALANCE PROB BUT A FLT CTL PROB WAS POSSIBLE. THEY SENT A CONTRACT MECH TO LOOK OVER THE ACFT BUT HE FOUND NO FLT CTL PROBS. IT WAS THEN WHEN MAINT CTL DECIDED TO GND THE ACFT AND SENT ITS OWN MECH TEAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MAINT RPTED THE FUELER SHORTED THE R WING BY 3000 LBS BECAUSE THE INOP R WING INDICATOR WAS USED FOR FUELING. THE RPTR SAID MAINT DID NOT RPT IF THE FUEL QUANTITY SYS WAS REPAIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.